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The name 'Sugarloaf' is widely applied to hills of a conical shape in Ireland and Britain. Its equivalent 'pain de sucre' is common in France. It is also found further afield, e.g. at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil (Pão de Açúcar in Portuguese) and the Montmorency Falls in Canada, where the name 'Pain de Sucre' is applied to the cone of ice which forms at the base of the waterfall in winter. There is a widespread misconception nowadays that 'sugarloaf' is some kind of bread. In fact, the word refers to the form in which sugar was usually sold all over the world, at least up to the 19th century, until granulated sugar became widely available in packets. The sugary liquid was dripped onto a surface and a solid mass formed in a conical or torpedo-like shape, like a sugary stalagmite. Sugar is still available in this form in North Africa, and it is also used in Germany to make the drink 'Feuerzangenbowle', for which the sugarloaf must first be soaked in rum.
Sugarloaf Hill is the 176th highest place in Ireland. Sugarloaf Hill is the most northerly summit in the Knockmealdown Mountains area. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/170/?PHPSESSID=b9fpjg3i8bqrvfqgsupc9s8uf1

Picture from group : Sugarloaf just right of centre, from Knockmealdown

Picture: Sugarloaf just right of centre, from Knockmealdown

Sentry of the Vee gap

Short Summary created by jackill, 5 Mar 2011

Start at the Vee, where there is lots of room to park safely by the roadside, and head up the rough, often boggy track past the Grubb monument (large stone cairn by the roadside), to the summit.
You can also park in Bay lough carpark S031 101A, cross the main road and follow the steep rocky track, keeping the stone wall to your left to the top of the Sugarloaf.
You can make the ascent somewhat easier by parking at the Vee, walk to the sharp apex of the Vee itself and follow the Munster way( signposted as St Declans way here) down into Glenmoylan. Do not cross the stream instead follow the path to the right going up the glen almost as far as where the non-existant Lough Moylan is shown on the OS maps , look for a rocky zig-zag path going up to the col between the Sugarloaf and Knockmealdown and follow it up. Cross the col to find the wall and follow it west to the Sugarloaf. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/170/comment/4930/

Picture from csd : Knocknalougha and Knockshanahullion from the summit of Sugarloaf Hill.

Picture: Knocknalougha and Knockshanahullion from the summit of Sugarloaf Hill.

csd on Sugarloaf Hill, 2006

by csd 18 Oct 2006

Parked at the car park marked at The Gap, and headed straight up Sugarloaf Hill. It's a bit of a slog up, and unfortunately parts of the track are showing signs of erosion from walkers. However, as you lift your head on the inevitable stops to catch your breath, the view as you get higher is one of the better ones. It should be possible to make the summit in 40 mins from the car park. Pic shows the view across The Gap to Knocknalougha and Knockshanahullion. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/170/comment/2526/

Your Score: Very useful << >>Average

2 weeks of sunshine, 1 day of cloud!

by paulocon 27 Apr 2010

First time out on the hills in quite some time. A business trip to Tipperary gave me a couple of hours in the morning to bag Sugarloaf Hill. I had planned on climbing Knockmealdown but as I arrived at the Vee Gap, cloud cover meant that visibility was very poor so I parked up beside the grotto and headed up along the county wall behind the Bianconi Hut.

Although quite steep, this is about as easy as it gets - the wall offers a sure guide all the way to the top and there's a very distinct path alongside it. Despite this, I was tempted away from the wall by a path which I assumed offered a more meandering route but which led to a dead end meaning I was forced to contour along some thick rain-sodden heather for my stupidity. A final steep pull leads to the top with the summit cairn being a short distance to the left from the point where the wall turns for Knockmealdown. There is a second cairn a short distance away which I only noticed as it momentarily appeared out of the cloud cover. Although the second cairn is far bigger, I'm pretty sure the first cairn marks the true summit.

Made my way back down and typically the cloud began to move away as I reached the carpark at the Gap. All in all, a handy climb and one that would be suitable for a family walk on a nice summers day. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/170/comment/4667/

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Picture from paulocon : View from the summit cairn with Slievenamon in the distance

Picture: View from the summit cairn with Slievenamon in the distance

2nd time lucky

by paulocon 28 Sep 2011

2nd time on Sugarloaf and got the views this time! Climbed on 14/09/2011 as the third top of a short Horseshoe walk on the Knockmealdowns. Crossed from Knockmoylan along superb walking ground. Superb views of the Golden Vale and the Galtees from the summit cairn. Descent down to the Gap is over some very steep and eroded ground so care is required. Done a write-up which is at: http://climbingirelandsmountains.blogspot.com/2011/09/evening-in-knocmealdowns.html should anyone be interested. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/170/comment/6538/

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Picture from jackill

jackill on Sugarloaf Hill, 2004

by jackill 4 Oct 2004

Looking back on the Sugarloaf along by the county wall towards Knockmoylan.
Knockaunabulloga (overlooking the Vee and Petty Coat Looses favorite hide out Beal Loch) is on the left of photo.An old recitation I can remember my grandfather had said her fist was so big she could crush a man with the weight of it until "Father Power to the Red Sea drove her and gave her a thimble to empty the sea". Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/170/comment/1217/

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Picture from wicklore : View down to the carpark from the steep slopes of Sugarloaf Hill

Picture: View down to the carpark from the steep slopes of Sugarloaf Hill

wicklore on Sugarloaf Hill, 2008

by wicklore 7 Aug 2008

Bank Holiday Monday last was my first trip to the Knockmealdowns. I decided to start with Sugarloaf Hill and make my way across to Knockmealdown and beyond. I am unfamiliar with this area, but using map no.74 I found the carpark on the R668 at S 031 100B. Across the road from the carpark a track heads directly up Sugarloaf Hill. This is very steep in places and a punch in the belly after a nearly three hour car journey!
I met an elderly man running down and I proudly told him that I was struggling but making progress. He congratulated me on my ‘fitness’ before informing me he had run up this way earlier, had run across the range and was on his way back. My Hour of Shame! My photo shows the carpark from near the summit of Sugarloaf Hill and gives a sense of the height gained in such a short distance.
The summit arrived surprisingly quickly after about 45 minutes. I was lucky with the weather and had great views in all directions. I spent some time with my maps identifying what I could see in the distance (the Galtees, the Comeraghs) as well as the nearer mountains of the Knockmealdowns themselves.
I then continued on my traverse SW towards Knockmoylan. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/170/comment/3261/